Needle-thread-controlling mechanism for overseaming-machines.



L. ONDERDONK.

NEEDLE THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR OVERSEAMING MACHINES.

APPL|CAT|0N FILED SEPT- 5 [93- I" 1,Q32,3828 Patentvd July .3, 1914.

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NEEDLE THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR ()VEHSEAMING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILLD SEPT-I5, i913.

1,%32,382. Patented July 3, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

EIII'IIE L. ONDERDONK.

v NEEDLE THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR OVERSEAMING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-15.. I913- z sg sg, Patented July 3,1917.

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L. ONDERDONK.

NEEDLE THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR OVERSEAMING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-15.1913.

1,232,382 Patented July 3, 1917.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Application filed September 15, 1913. Serial No. 789,836.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lansrno ONonnnoNK, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needle- Thread-Controlling 'Meohanism for Over seaming-Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in thread controllers, and more particularly to the thread controlling mechanism for the needle in an. over-seaming machine.

An object of the invention is to provide means for controlling the needle thread in an overeseaming machine so that the needle loops may be drawn to a predetermined position, regardless of varying thicknesses in the material so as to form an over-seaming stitch, wherein the purl is uniformly laid relative to the edge of the material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a thread controlling device of the above character which includes a main pulloff operating to pull thread for the needle through the tension device on the down stroke of the needle and also to hold the needle thread to assist the needle in setting the stitch, together with an auxiliary pulloif operating to pull thread from the sup ply through the tension on the upward stroke of the needle, which auxiliary pulloff is controlled so as to pull off a measured amount of thread, depending upon the thickness of the material being operated upon.

These and other objects will in part be obvious, and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings, which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sewing machine embodying my improvements, certain of the parts being broken away and shown in section, and also certain of the parts being omitted in order to more clearly show a stitch forming mechanism and the controlling devices therefor;

Fig. 2 is a similar view on an enlarged scale, showing the thread carrying loopers, the needle, and the auxiliary pull-off, which operates upon the needle thread;

1 ig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the auxiliary pull-01f shifted for pulling a greater amount of thread on account of-the increasedthicknoss of the, material beneath the presser foot;

' Fig. 1 is an end view of the machine, cerneedle, an under thread carrying looper,

and an over edge thread carrying looper with controlling devices for. the needle thread which operate to position the needle loops in a predetermined relation to the edge ofthe fabric, which controlling devices are so constructed that when once adjusted for positioning the needle loops, they will remain in this predetermined position relative to the edge of the fabric, even though the thickness of the fabric varies. In other words, when the fabric increases in thickness, a greater amount of thread is furnished to the needle, so as to supply the precise increase demanded to still maintain the same position of the needle loops relative to the edge of the fabric.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, my improved machine consists of a bed plate 1, from which rises a standard 2, having an overhanging arm 3. A needle bar 41: is mounted to reciprocate in the forward end of the overhanging arm and carries a needle 5. The needle bar is reciprooated by a lever 6, which is connected by a link 7 to the needle bar. The needle lever 6 is oscillated on its fulcrum 8 by a link 9, which cooperates with an eccentric on the main shaft 10. Said needle carries a thread a, which is led from the supply through a suitable guide 11 to a tension 12, and thence to a pull-off 13. This pull-off consists of three spaced fixed thread guides 14, and movable guides 15 operating between the respective fixed threaolguides 14. The movable thread guidesare carriedby a bracket 16 fastened at 17 to the needle lever. The fixed guides 14 are also carried by a bracket which is adjustably secured to the overhanging arm by a screw 18. The needle thread a is led from the pull-off 13 to an auxiliary pull-off and slack thread controller, which consists of thread guides 19, which are spaced from each other and carried by an arm 20 pivoted at 21 to the overhanging arm, and having a segment gear 22 which meshes with a rack bar 23 fixed to the presser foot bar 24. This presser foot bar carries the usual presser foot 25 and is held yieldingly against the fabric which in turn holds the same on the work support andcooperates with the feed dog in feeding the material. This auxiliary pull-off and thread controller also includes a thread guiding eye or loop 26, which is fixed at 27 to the needle lever, and said thread eye or loop engages the needle thread between the thread guides 19. The needle thread a, after leaving the auxiliary pull-off and slack thread c0ntroller, passes through a stationary thread guide 28, and thence to an auxiliary tension 29 and finally to the eye of the needle.

Cooperating with the needle beneath the work support is a thread carrying looper 30 which is provided with a looper thread 5. By a thread carrying looper throughout the de scription. and claims, I refer to a looper having thread eyes through which a looper thread passes in contradistinction to a looper having a hook merely engaging the thread and carrying the same. This thread carrying looper 30 is pivoted to swing on a support 32 and is moved back and forth by a link 33, which is pivoted at one end to the looper and at the other end to a rock arm 3%. The rock arm 3% is pivoted at 35 to the standard and is connected by a link 36 to the needle lever extension 37. The link 36, when the looper is at the forward end of its stroke, is substantially in line with the needle lever extension 37, and, therefore, the looper will be given a dwell at the forward end of its stroke. This looper operating mechanism, however, forms no part of the present invention.

Also cooperating with the needle and with the lower thread carrying looper 30 is a third thread carrying looper 38, having a looper thread 0. This looper is mounted on an arm 39 fixed to a shaft 40, which, in turn, is rocked by a link 41, operated by a crank arm on the forward end of the main shaft 10.

In the operation of the devices as above described, the needle passes through the fabric and rises slightly to throw out the loop which is engaged by the looper 30, which moves forward to the position shown in Fig.2. The over edge thread carrying looper 38 moves between the looper thread 7) and the body of the looper, that is, into the loop formed by this looper 30, and also moves to a position above the work support so that the needle on its next descent will pass between the looper thread 0 carried by the looper 38 and the body of the'looper 38, that is, into the loop of thread formed by this looper 88.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing I have shown diagrammatically an over edge stitch encircling the edge of tWo layers of fabric F. In this view, (4 indicates the loops formed by the needle thread, Z) the loops formed by the looper 30, and 0 the loops formed by the looper 38. In this form of stitch, it is desirable that the needle thread loop shall extend through the fabric and then be drawn to the edge of the fabric and maintained in this predetermined position relative to the edge of the fabric, regardless of any varying conditions in the thickness of the fabric, during the crossing of seams or the like.

The above described mechanismfor controlling the needle thread accomplishes this uniform laying of the needle-loops relative to the edge of the fabric. Starting out, the needle is in its raised position, and the thread eye or loop 26 is in its raised position. As the needle moves down, slack thread will be given to the needle. The main pull-off is at this time slightly above the needle thread and inefiective to take up the needle thread or pull thread from the supply. As the needle starts downward, it moves between the body of the looper 38 and the thread carried thereby. The needle thread leads from the eye of the needle to the previous stitch, or interlocking of the loops, and, therefore, the needle thread will be led over the looper thread 0, as shown in Fig. 2, and should at this time be slack. It is slack, as above noted. A further downward movement of the needle causes the point thereof to enter the fabric, and the forming of the needle loop in the fabric takes up the slack in the needle thread, and the looper 38 is at this time retracted, permitting the thread 0 running in the eye of the looper 38 to the previous interlocking of the loops, to be drawn down onto the fabric. The main pull-off now comes into action, while the needle is moving down, and pulls thread from the supply, through a tension for the needle on the next stitch. This main pull-off takes no part in the setting of the stitch, except that it holds the thread taut so that the needle as it finishes the lower end of its stroke will draw the loops to assist in setting the stitch.

On the first upward movement of the needle, the main pull-off gives slack to the needle thread, so that it is entirely slack, and this assists the needle in throwing out its loop for the entrance of the looper 30. The continued upward movement of the needle lever causes the thread loop or eye 26 to engage the needle thread and take up the slack thread given up by the main pull-off, but it also continues the movement after the main pull-off becomes idle and pulls a measured amount of thread through the tension from the supply. The amount of thread pulled through the supply depends upon the distance this thread eye or thread loop moves above the thread guides 19. As above described, the thread guides 19 are carried by an arm 20, the position of which is determined by the presser foot. If the thickness of the fabric increases for any reason, the presser foot is raised. This lowers the arm 20 and the thread guides 19 so that more thread will be pulled off, and, on the other hand, when the presser foot is returned to normal position, the arm 20 will be raised and a less amount of thread pulled off. I have, therefore, provided in connection with a three-thread over-seaming machine a needle thread controlling mechanism which pulls off and supplies a measured amount of thread for the needle so that the needle loops may be carried to one side of the line of stitching as defined. by the needle punctures and maintained in a predetermined position relative to the edge of the fabric throughout the entire seam.

\Vhile I have described my improved needle thread controlling mechanism as especially adapted for a three-thread overseaming machine, it will be understood, however, that from certain aspects of the invention, it may be used in connection with other complemental thread carrying implements, or a single thread carrying implement, and in any stitch forming mechanism wherein it is desired to carry the needle loop to one side of the line of stitching as defined by the needle punctures, and maintain the needle loops in a predetermined position relative to the edge of the fabric.

The particular controlling devices shown in the drawings for the looper threads form no part of the present invention, but are shown, described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 789,835 filed of even date herewith.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1.. An over-seaming machine including in combination a thread carrying needle, and complemental stitch forming mechanism, and controlling devices for the needle thread, including a main pull-off for pulling thread from the supply on the downward stroke of the needle, and an auxiliary pull-off including devices for pulling a measured amount of thread from the supply, depending upon the thickness of the material being stitched on the upward stroke of the needle.

An over-seaming machine including in combination a thread carrying needle, and complemental stitch forming mechanism, and controlling devices for the needle thread, including a main pull-off for pulling thread through the tension from the supply on the downward movement of the needle, and an auxiliary pull-off for pulling thread through the tension from the supply on the upward movement of the needle.

3. An over-seaming machine including in combination a thread carrying needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle beneath the work support, a thread carrying looper cooperating with said first named thread carrying looper and with the needle above the work support, and controlling devices for the needle thread, including a main pull ofi' for pulling thread from the supply and an auxiliary pull-off, including devices for pulling a measured amount of thread from the supply, depending upon the thickness of the material being stitched.

4:. An over-seaming machine including in combination a thread carrying needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle beneath the work support, a thread carrying looper cooperating with said first named thread carrying looper and,with the needle above the work support, and controlling devices for the needle thread, including a main pull-off for pulling thread through the tension from the supply on the downward movement of the needle, and an auxiliary pull-off for pulling thread through the tension from the supply on the upward movement of the needle.

5. An over-seaming machine including in combination a thread carrying needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle beneath the work support, a thread carrying looper cooperating with said first named thread carrying looper and with the needle above the work support, and controlling devices for the needle thread, including a main pull-off for pulling thread through the tension from the supply on the downward movement of the needle, and an auxiliary pull-off for pulling thread through the tension from the supply on the upward movement of the needle, said auxiliary pulloff including means whereby a measured amount of thread will be pulled from the supply, depending upon the thickness of the material being sewed.

6. An over-seaming machine including in combination a thread carrying needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle beneath the work support, a thread carrying looper cooperating with said first named thread carrying looper and with the needle above the work support, means for controlling the needle thread, including a vcating said needle,

tension device, a main pull-oii' between the tension device and the needle for pulling thread through the tension from the supply on the downward stroke of the needle, an auxiliary pull-off disposed 'between the main pull-off and the needle for pulling thread through the main pull-off and tension from the supply on the upward movement of the needle, said auxiliary pull-01f including spaced thread eyes, an arm carrying said spaced thread eyes, and means for connecting said arm to the presser bar, whereby the movement of the presser bar Will be conveyed to said arm.

7. An over-seaming machine including in combination a thread carrying needle, complemental thread carrying mechanism cooperating with said needle to form an overseaming stitch, a needle lever for reciproa main pull-off for pulling thread from the supply on the clown- Ward movement of the needle, an auxiliary pull-oil for the needle thread, comprising a thread arm having a thread loop mounted on said needle lever, and spaced thread guides located at opposite sides of the thread arm and are so disposed relative thereto as to pull thread from the supply on the upward movement of the needle, a pivoted arm I carrying said thread guides, and means for connecting said pivoted. arm to the presser bar, whereby movements of the presser bar will be imparted to said thread guides.

In testimony'whereof, I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

LANSING ONDERDONK. Witnesses:

WALTER E. BARNES, GEORGE W. BELL.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C, 

